By Her Side
by headoverhook
Summary: He gave up his ship for her. Would go to the end of the world and time for her. To make sure she was safe. That she was happy. He was in love with her, and even if she could never love him back, he would stay by her side as long as she needed him.
1. New York

_This was written for the CS Secret Santa exchange over on Tumblr. My Secret Santa person is a fan of S3. So I took 3B and put my own little spin on it which ended up to be a walk down the CS memory lane (and since it's me there are some sexy times, too)._

* * *

 **New York – Day 1**

He'd been to New York before, in his pursuit of the Dark One. When his revenge had consumed him, body and soul. He'd almost killed the crocodile that day, if Emma hadn't stopped him. She'd invaded his life again back then. Though the blonde vixen had always lingered in the back of his mind, since their adventure up on the beanstalk. She'd told him he could be a part of something. Reminded him of the heart that was beating in his chest. Reminded him of the days when he did care about people. Loved people.

She'd barreled into him like a storm on sea, unexpected and a force to be reckoned with. She'd managed to knock him off his feet, pierced through all the walls he'd put around his heart as if they were nothing but smoke.

It wasn't as if he could hope that she would give him a chance. That he could show her how much she really meant to him. They'd said goodbye at the town line and he'd thought there was something more there. A genuine affection on her side while his heart was breaking right inside of his chest with the knowledge that he'd probably never see her again.

Though this small flicker of hope was all it took to convince him that leaving his old life behind wasn't total insanity. He was prepared to be refused by her once again, but he still hadn't hesitated even for one second when the letter had reached him, telling him Emma was needed to save everyone. He'd let his crew go without another thought and given the Jolly Roger to Blackbeard to get his hand on a magic bean to come here to New York.

To find Emma. To make her remember her past. To pull her out of the life she was living. The life she thought to be real. She didn't know that her memories had been altered, that her past was made up. She probably was happy with her current life, and he was about to crush that happiness.

If she wouldn't be needed to save her parents and the rest of Storybrooke he wouldn't even have tried to come back. He would have let her live in oblivion. Because the scars of her past didn't exist in the life she was currently living, and he would never made her remember the hurts of her past without a good reason.

But he knew her. She would want to know if her loved ones were in danger. She would want to help. Would want to be the savior she was born to be.

And a small part of him just wanted to see her again. He'd missed her this past year.

Fiercely.

* * *

 **New York – Day 2**

He felt an uncomfortable tug in the pit of his stomach as he started to search through Bae's old apartment. He'd stumbled in here last night, his body weary from the travel through realms, his mind jumbled with the knowledge that he would see Emma very soon. He'd fallen on the bed, sleep coming over him almost instantly. Now he was awake but still felt weary down to his bones. Days like the last made him realize that he wasn't really only thirty years old. His body might be still this young, but his mind wasn't. His mind was over three hundred years old, and some days he felt every single one of those days.

He forced the fatigue away, opening cupboards until he found what he was looking for. A bottle of rum and a tin with the familiar word printed on it. He squeezed his eyes to decipher the small print on the side of the tin and after searching through a few more cupboards he found a mug and a pot to heat water in. After pouring the boiling water over the coffee powder, he inhaled the familiar scent before blowing on the content, eager to have his fill of caffeine. He might be over three hundred years old, but coffee had always been his weakness. Especially if he could liven it up with a shot of his beloved rum.

He was downing his second cup of coffee – this one without rum – as he started to rummage through the apartment. Neal had told him about the location of the spare key in his letter, and he'd felt a rush of warmth enveloping his heart when he read the other man's words. Neal was convinced that he was the only one who could outrun this curse and find Emma. Nonetheless, he couldn't shake off the unwelcoming feeling of invading the other man's privacy. He might have been a pirate for centuries, but even he shied away from a few things. Though he knew he couldn't just show up at Emma's door without any evidence of her old life in hand. He hoped he would find what he was looking for in here.

Suppressing the thoughts of just planting a kiss on Emma when he saw her, on the off-chance that she was feeling the same as he, he walked through the apartment, sweeping his eyes back and forth in search of something that might be convincing enough for the stubborn woman he'd crossed realms for to bring her back to her family.

* * *

 **New York – Day 3**

He found her without much effort, but didn't approach her. He kept his distance, watching her and Henry from afar. He knew he had to be careful, knew that no matter what life she was living now she'd still have her skills. Even if they were buried deep inside of her. She would sense him if he got too suspicious in following her.

The glances he'd gotten from the people around him had told him that he was already drawing attention to himself. Looking around he'd noticed that his attire was what put him on display in this realm. But he couldn't part way with the clothes he'd worn for centuries. It wasn't as if people were pointing fingers at him, and after he'd walked through Times Square he'd realized that he wasn't the only one wearing conspicuous clothes. He just had to keep his distance to make sure Emma wasn't aware of him. His stiff hand and leather attire was causing a few murmurs wherever he went, but he still couldn't be convinced that donning different clothes would make his mission any easier. He felt comfortable in his own clothes and changing into modern clothes would just made him self-conscious, and he definitely needed all his wits to convince Emma that what he was about to tell her was true.

He'd contemplated talking to Henry first, hoping the lad would be more accepting to the wild tale he needed to tell him and his mother. But after thinking about it for quite some time, he'd opted on not approaching the lad first. He had only one vial of potion, and Emma wouldn't believe him without the potion restoring her memories. He had to convince her first. Henry believing him wouldn't help him regaining Emma's trust. She was fiercely protective of her son. A stranger appearing in her son's life out of nowhere and telling him a story that was kind of hard to believe would make his task just harder, not easier.

He needed to come up with a really good plan to make Emma drink the memory potion and remember who she really was.

* * *

 **New York – Day 7**

He would have liked to have a few more days to find the perfect way to approach Emma, but when he saw Emma kissing another man the decision had been taken out of his hand. He had a bad feeling about the other man, and it was not only the jealous jab that seared through him when Emma smiled at the other man and let him hug her close to his side after the kiss. He'd been a pirate for a very long time. He just sensed that something was off. Discarding the feeling that raised the hair at the back of his neck would only lead to disaster. He trusted his sixth sense by now, never ignored it. And he would definitely not ignore it when Emma was near a man that raised all his hackles.

He'd followed the other man, watching him walk into a jewelry store. He'd stepped inside after him, looking at the displays and convincing the saleswoman with all the charm he could muster up that he was looking for an engagement ring for his girlfriend and that he wanted to surprise her with a proposal during the rehearsal of a play they were in. He kept the smile on his face while listening to the other man talking, gritting his jaw as he deduced from the conversation that the other man was about to propose to Emma.

Everything inside of him bristled. He'd been willing to step away to give Neal and Emma another chance. But he wouldn't stay in the background while a man that made all his pirate senses tingle, and not in a good way, was trying to seduce Emma into a marriage. He definitely had to stop Emma from making the biggest mistake of her life.

So he slipped into the seat opposite of her a few hours later when her current boyfriend had excused himself to the restrooms, his heart beating in his chest like crazy as her eyes met his for the very first time. A foolish part of him had hoped for some kind of recognition in her gaze, but of course there weren't any. She straightened in her seat, her fingers wandering to the knife beside her plate and a surge of pride coursed through him as he saw the movement. That was his girl. Always prepared.

"He's not who he seems to be, love," he said hastily before Emma could actually raise the knife and threaten him with bodily harm.

"Tell me who you are and what you want in the next five seconds or I'll put you in handcuffs before you can blink an eye."

Despite the dire situation they were in and the urgency of his mission he couldn't keep the smile back upon hearing her fierce words. "Killian Jones, ma'am," he replied, cocking an eyebrow at her as he leaned back into his seat. "At your service."

"You've only answered one question."

"I have to admit that the answer to your second question is a little bit more complicated, love." He pulled the envelope with the pictures he'd found in Bae's apartment out of his pocket, putting it on the table in front of her and tapping a finger against it. "Take a look at these, and I'll answer all your questions tomorrow. Nine o'clock. Central Park. By the entrance of the zoo."

He wanted to push her more, but knew pushing her was never a good idea. So he stood up without saying another word, hoping that her inquisitive nature would at least lead her to take a look at the pictures. If not, he had to try again tomorrow. And hope that her boyfriend wouldn't propose to her right this night.

\- xxx -

Emma stared at the empty seat in front of her, wondering if she'd just had a hallucination or if a man dressed like a pirate, including the rings and eyeliner, had actually just sat opposite of her. The white envelope on the table was real enough, even though a little suspicious. But she doubted he was a terrorist who wanted to launch an Anthrax attack in the middle of New York.. Of course it wasn't completely insane to assume that, but her superpower told her that he wasn't out to harm her. So she reached for the envelope and opened the flap.

"What the fuck?" she murmured under her breath as she flipped through the contents of the envelope, her fingers starting to tremble as she looked at the pictures. Every picture showed her and Henry. But in locations they'd never been to. She'd definitely remember being in a town called Storybrooke. Because that was one ridiculous name.

"Emma, darling, everything all right?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, forcing a smile on her face as she looked up at Walsh while simultaneously shoving the envelope and pictures into her handbag before Walsh would see them and ask about it. "Everything is fine."

Of course nothing was fine. A stranger had just handed her pictures of her and Henry. She would definitely go to Central Park the next day. Probably with a few police officer as backup just to make sure that the crazy guy wouldn't do something stupid.

* * *

 **New York – Day 8**

"What are you doing, Emma?" she mumbled to herself as she walked toward the entrance of the zoo the next morning.

That was really the big question here. Not only was she about to meet the stranger from last night, she also didn't call the police. And to put the cherry on top she'd refused Walsh's proposal yesterday. At first she'd thought it was just because he took her by surprise but when she'd lain in bed a few hours later she'd realized that the moment Walsh had asked the question the face of the stranger had popped into her brain and she couldn't say yes, even if the rational part of her wanted to say yes.

So now she was here. In Central Park. Walking up to a stranger she probably shouldn't face alone.

"Swan, I knew you'd come."

"I wasn't so sure."

"I'm glad you're here, love," the man said urgently, completely ignoring her comment. "Your family is in danger. They need you."

"My family?" she asked, wondering if she didn't make a big mistake by even coming here to talk to the crazy guy. She should have left it to the police to deal with him. "I don't have any family aside from my son."

"I know you don't remember, but I can make you."

Before she could make sense of that cryptic comment, the stranger had curled his hand around her cheek and pulled her forward, planting a hard kiss on her lips. She blamed the fact that he'd surprised her for not pushing him away immediately, not the weird feeling that rushed through her the moment his lips met hers. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over her, and for a few seconds she wanted to kiss him back, before her brain started functioning again. Pressing her hands against his chest, she pushed him away.

"I should have called the police and not come here without backup," she told him brusquely, suppressing the urge to lift her fingers to her lips which were still tingling from the kiss. "What the hell was that?"

"Apologies, lass. It was worth a try."

"Worth a try?" she asked him incredulously. "What did you think would happen? A complete stranger kisses me and alone the press of his lips on my mouth will make me wake up from a deep sleep?" She was not _Snow White_ who needed to be kissed awake by her charming prince, for God's sake. And he was not charming at all. God damn it. She got angrier and angrier with each passing second and had to keep herself from jabbing a finger into his chest as she hissed, "This is not a fairy tale."

"Close enough," he replied, stepping away as if he sensed she needed some space. "But I can see why you might consider it strange."

"Strange?" Was this guy for real? He'd just kissed her out of nowhere. That was definitely more than strange. "That's not the word I'd have chosen to describe this situation. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call the cops and let you get thrown in a cell."

"You've looked at the pictures?"

"I have," she admitted reluctantly, reaching into her bag to pull the pictures out. "I have no clue how you got your hands on pictures of me and Henry to photoshop them. But you having these pictures ... it's hells of creepy."

"Photoshop?" he asked, looking completely confused, as if he'd never heard the word before. "I don't know what you mean, love."

"You could have faked those," she said, waving the pictures through the air.

"If you don't believe me why did you come here?"

"I don't know," she gritted out through clenched teeth. She would not tell this stranger that she came here to meet him because her gut had told her she needed to see him. That something about him tugged at something deep inside of her. Something she didn't understand. Something she needed to investigate. "Lapse of judgment apparently."

"Would you at least listen to what I need to tell you?" he questioned, his voice tinged with desperation as he added, "I know it'll sound like a tale a madman might spin in his mind, but I need you to listen to the whole story. I need you to keep an open mind and not just dismiss everything I say. All right, love?"

"Fine," she grumbled, folding her arms over her chest and leaning back against the fountain. "I'll listen."

He started to talk. And talk. And talk. With each word out of his mouth she was more convinced that he was totally off his rocker. What he was telling her was ludicrous. Totally and completely ludicrous. According to his tale, her parents were Prince Charming and Snow White who'd been cursed back to a town called Storybrooke and now she needed to save them. Because apparently she was the savior, and had brought them back from a curse the Evil Queen had spun once before.

Right. That was totally believable. Totally.

"You're insane," she burst out after unsuccessfully trying to come up with something less offense. Shaking her head, she pushed herself away from the fountain wall. Clearly it had been a mistake to come here.

"I feared you would say that. But I need you to remember. Your family needs you. Your friends need you," he pleaded, reaching into the pocket of his jacket to pull out a small vial with a bright blue liquid inside. "This potion will help you regain your memories."

"You want me to drink something a complete stranger offers me on the street?" she asked incredulously, really regretting now that she didn't call the cops after this lunatic had shown up at the restaurant yesterday. "You're even more insane than I thought."

"Does your superpower tell you I'm lying?"

She managed to keep her surprise in check. She didn't even want to hear him spin another ludicrous tale to explain how he knew about her superpower. Everything he'd told her was utter nonsense. But something inside of her was still pushing her towards him, as if this man had some kind of strange power over her. Gulping hard, she tried to will her mind to just snap out of it, not that she was very successful. Since the next words out of her mouth were anything but rational. "But if what you're saying is true. I have to give up my life here."

"It's all based on lies."

"It's real. And it's pretty good. I have Henry. A job. A guy I love."

"Perhaps there's a man that you love in the life that you've lost," he said, his voice hoarse with emotions. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked into his eyes, wondering if he was talking about himself. Not that she believed what he was saying. It was a great story. But it was nothing but a story. It wasn't real. "Regardless, if you wanna find the truth … drink up." He looked at her with an intensity in his eyes that caused a shiver to run down her spine. "Do you really want to live a life of lies? You know this isn't right. Trust your gut, Swan. It will tell you what to do."

"Henry always says that," she whispered, her determination wavering with every passing moment she spent in the presence of this stranger. The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming now. So overwhelming that she couldn't ignore it any longer.

"Then if you won't listen to me, then listen to your boy."

She was apparently as insane as the man standing in front of her, because she was about to be swayed. She was really about to take the liquid the crazy guy was offering her and drink it. She was an idiot.

But nonetheless she reached for the vial and uncorked it. Lifting it to her lips, she swallowed the content down without giving herself more time to think about the insanity of that action.

At first nothing happened and she already wanted to laugh out loud as her brain suddenly seemed to explode as a flood of memories barreled through it. She gasped, her knees almost buckling out under her as her memories rushed back in the span of seconds.

When Henry appeared at her door. The moment her parents remembered her. Neal. Neverland. And then she remembered _him_. She remembered the kiss they'd shared, the conversations they had. Remembered the man standing in front of her right now.

Killian Jones. The infamous Captain Hook.

She remembered.

Opening her eyes, she met his gaze, struggling to stay upright as the life she believed she'd been living crumpled to a pile of ash at her feet.

"Hook," she breathed, still reeling from the onslaught of memories that threatened to blow her brains out.

And then the man had the audacity to curl his lips up into that cocky smirk she now remembered, too. And the cock of the eyebrow. And the taunting drawl of his voice as he said, "Did you miss me?"

\- xxx -

She didn't have a lot of alcohol in the apartment, but she was glad about the bottle of rum her boss had given her a while back. She definitely needed some strong stuff right about now. Hook was sitting opposite of her, his fingers curled around his own glass of rum while she was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was the child of Snow White and Prince Charming and that Captain Hook had come to New York to tell her that her family was in danger.

What was her life even?

She knew now that the life she'd lived over the past year was all based on lies. But a part of her wished that sitting across from Captain Hook was just a weird dream she would wake up from any second.

Not to mention that remembering Hook brought back a myriad of confusing feelings. Annoyance, anger, arousal and the weird urge to laugh. Not to mention the wish to hit him just to get rid of a part of the frustration. That wish almost as strong as the wish to curl her hands around the lapels of his coat and yank him towards her to press a kiss on his lips. Just to find out if the sexual tension she remembered was still as explosive. Instead she tightened her fingers around the glass in her hand and kept her gaze averted, fearing that meeting his eyes would lead to her acting on one of her desires. Instead she thought back over their conversation. What didn't really help either.

 _I came back to save you._

Save her.

But she didn't need to be saved. If he hadn't shown up she wouldn't even know she was the savior. And what did that actually mean? Save her? Wasn't _she_ supposed to be the savior once again and save Storybrooke?

She ignored the voice in her head that was telling her that he'd been right. She didn't want to live a life of lies. The last year might have been real, but everything else were false memories. She also ignored the voice in her head that was reminding her that saying good bye to Hook at the town line had been hard. Because there had been something there. Something more. She just hadn't been ready to face that something yet. And then she and Henry had driven over the town line and she forgot everything about him.

But now he was here again. Once again by her side to help her with the next crisis.

Feeling his eyes bore into her, she suddenly didn't only remember the past with him but was reminded of the kiss he'd given her in Central Park. Her heart skipped a beat, her hand trembling around the glass. He'd said it was worth a try. He'd kissed her in the hopes it would jog her memory? But that meant he thought that they were ... no. She swallowed the hysterical laugh that bubbled up in her throat, pushing those thoughts in the darkest corner of her brain. No matter what he was feeling for her, or she for him, she still wasn't ready to face the emotions he elicited in her. Especially not now. When they had to battle another curse. Thinking about what the pirate really meant to her had to wait.

The ring of the bell saved her from going stir crazy in her own head, a groan almost slipping from her lips as she realized who was at the door.

"Who is that?" Hook asked, his whole body stiffing in alert.

"Walsh," she replied. "Henry invited him."

"I can get rid of him."

He was already half out of his chair before she could stop him with a raised hand.

"No," she told him, standing up quickly before Hook decided to ignore her wish. She had to talk to Walsh herself. That was just something she had to do. She'd been convinced she was in love with him, before a certain pirate had appeared back in her life and shaken up everything. "My memories might not be real, but he is. And so are the eight months we spent together. I owe him an explanation."

"What are you gonna say to him?" Hook questioned, the wary expression on his face, making her not feel any better about the task ahead of her.

"I don't know," she replied as she slipped into her jacket, her heart heavy in her chest. "But I care about him too much to drag him into all this."

\- xxx -

He'd been nursing his third glass of rum as he'd heard the commotion. The glass had slipped out of his hand and shattered on the ground as he'd jumped off the chair and hurried out of the apartment. Bursting through the door to rush out on the roof, he chided himself for letting her deal with the man alone. He'd had a bad feeling about the guy, and apparently he'd been right. Thankfully, Emma seemed to be unharmed and he came to a stop a few feet away from her.

"Swan?" he asked, approaching her carefully. "What the blazes was that?"

"A reminder," she said quietly, a sadness in her eyes that shot a sharp pain through his heart. He'd caused part of that pain, a pain he would have liked to spare her from. But she wouldn't have wanted him to spare her, no matter how much it hurt right in that moment. Still, it didn't make it any easier for her to look at the shattered remnants of a life she'd thought she'd lived. He wanted to pull her into his arms. Wanted to soothe her sorrows. Wanted to tell her everything would be all right, eventually. But he did none of these things. Like always, she was an open book to him, her whole posture showing him clearly that she didn't want to have a shoulder to lean onto right now. She needed to fight. But his heart still broke as she told him with a defeated voice, "That I was never safe. That what I wanted … that what I thought I could have was not in the cards for the savior." She inhaled deeply and he saw the exact moment she pushed it all aside. Her shoulders straightened and the determined glint he knew so well appeared in her eyes. "We leave in the morning."


	2. Storybrooke

**Storybrooke** **– Day 9**

She was back in Storybrooke. Back where all this started.

Being the savior. Having the most screwed up life one could imagine.

She was still trying to unscramble all that had happened over the last twenty-four hours in her head. Trying to separate the false memories from the real ones. Trying to forget about how happy she'd been during the last year.

Living a normal life with her son.

No curses. No evil witches. No magic. Just an ordinary life.

She'd be a liar if she said she didn't miss it. But now that her memories were back ... she might not have missed her parents or the life she'd lived in Storybrooke because she couldn't remember it, but deep down there had been something nagging at her. She'd known something wasn't right with the life she was living. Even before Hook had stepped into her fake life and yanked her out of it.

On top of all the things she had to struggle with right at that moment, having him back in her life was probably the worst. From one second to the other all the conflicting feelings she had about him slammed back into her, and every time she looked at him the confusion just grew.

She didn't want to want him. But she did. Her body wanted him, begging her to just finally give in to the almost unbearable need to be consumed by him. To slam him against the next wall and devour him. To be pushed into the mattress and filled by him. To just forget about the absurdness of her life for a few moments with a man she shouldn't be with.

 _Why shouldn't you be with him?_ the insistent voice in her head told her once again and she groaned out loud, burying her face in the crook of her arm.

Despite her body trying to get her to jump off the cliff and into the pirate's arms, he was screwing with her mind, too. He'd crossed realms to find her, to bring her back. With his tenacity he'd finally convinced her to trust him. A complete stranger. Because this goddamn pirate knew her too well.

And when exactly did that happen? When exactly did he crawl that much under her skin that she even trusted him without knowing who he was? Just by him staying at her side, working at her walls until she'd drunk the potion, even though she'd called herself a fool doing it.

A gust of wind brushed over her and she shivered, reluctantly pushing away from the car. She'd been here for hours, rode up on the hill overlooking Storybrooke after leaving Henry fast asleep with her parents.

She just needed to get away for a few hours. To hopefully find her footing again. To sort everything out in her head and to come up with a plan how to approach this clusterfuck of a situation.

It didn't really help though. To borrow a very appropriate acronym - it was still a SNAFU.

Situation Normal, All Fucked Up.

* * *

 **Storybrooke – Day 14**

Five days later everything was still fucked up. They weren't any closer to finding out who'd actually cast the curse, and it felt as if they were still chasing their own tails. Not to mention that she was once again pursuing leads with a certain pirate. Apparently no matter how hard she tried to stay away from him, she always ended up having him by her side.

"You know something, Swan?" his voice interrupted her thoughts. "Whenever you're around I inevitably find myself tracking through some manner of wood or forest, courting danger."

"And here I thought you weren't afraid of anything," she shot back, wondering how he always managed, time and time again, to read her thoughts. It was annoying as hell to be such an open book to him. So she fell back on her old defense mechanisms when someone came to close for her liking. Sarcasm. "Always looking for the next adventure."

"Is that what this is?"

"Isn't it?" she countered, making sure her voice was extra mocking as she added, "What the hell were you doing over the last year alone on that ship? I guess it was one swashbuckling tale after another until you decided to come back and save me."

"Exactly."

She turned around, annoyed with his evasiveness. "You're lying."

"Excuse me?"

"What happened back there?" she asked, suddenly needing to know what he wanted to hide from her. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing," he replied brusquely. "It's my tale. And I'm sticking to it."

"I still don't believe you."

"Let's leave it at that and you can just say thank you."

"For my memories? I already did."

"And for saving you from a loveless marriage."

"That's what you think you were doing?"

"He was a flying monkey."

"I didn't know that."

"Were you considering it?" he questioned her, his voice low, his expression belying the fact that her answer might mean something to him. "His proposal?"

"Does it matter?" she replied with a question, not liking the feelings he elicited in her just by looking at her in that special way of his. As if he could look right into her soul.

"Humor me."

"Yes. Okay?" she blurted out, wanting to hurt him. Hoped her words would hurt him. Because he was too much. She didn't want to be here. Didn't want to feel the way she did. Didn't want any of this. So she did what she did best and lashed out. "I was in love. So of course I was considering it. But as usual, he wasn't who he said he was and I got my heart broken. Is that enough humor for you?"

He looked down then, and she ignored the jab of guilt that slashed through her. He had it coming after all. He pushed her. Not the other way around.

"Don't take this the wrong way," he said softly, meeting her eyes again. "But I'm glad to hear that."

"You're glad to hear that I had my heart broken?" she asked him incredulously, wondering if the urge to slap him would ever cease or if she had to live with that urge as long as he was in her life.

"If it can be broken," he murmured, having the audacity to step closer, to invade her space. Coming so close to her that she could feel his breath brushing over her cheek. "It means it still works."

There it was again. The urge to kiss him. To push him against the next tree and devour him whole. How was he always able to do that to her? To take her on that rollercoaster ride. The one where she didn't know if she wanted to hit him until she couldn't lift her arms anymore or fuck him until all her muscles gave out on her.

She couldn't decide what to do. So like always she did another thing she was very good at. She just turned around and walked away.

* * *

 **Storybrooke – Day 17**

Another dart thwacked into the board, leaving her strangely satisfied. Throwing darts at an inanimate object was better than smacking her fists into a wall. She was angry. So, so angry. And anger was definitely better than letting all the other emotions out. Emotions she didn't want to deal with.

Neal was dead. He was dead. They'd buried him this morning. And it was all Zelena's fault.

"Perhaps I should paint a bull's eye on the Wicked Witch's back," a voice said close to her ear. A voice she knew too damn well. A voice that shot a shiver down her spine despite the fact that her body was almost shaking with repressed anger. An anger that needed a better outlet than throwing darts at a board.

"She'll get more than a dart when I find her," she gritted out through clenched teeth, throwing another dart, not even caring if she might smack her hand into a certain pirate's face when she pulled her arm back. It would serve him right. It wasn't her fault that he apparently didn't know what personal space was.

"I know you're hurting, Swan," he said softly, so much understanding in his voice that she regretted that she didn't actual hit him. "But there are better ways to grieve Baelfire's death than letting anger overcome you."

She almost asked him if he was offering to be her punching bag, but held the words back at the last moment, saying instead, "Let me guess … rum?"

He pulled out his rum flask and shrugged his shoulders. "Never hurts."

"I'll stick with anger. At least until I deal with Zelena."

"Take it from me ..." The understanding in his gaze and voice started to make her skin tingle, and definitely not in a good way. She really needed to hit something. The wall seemed more appealing with each passing second. Or maybe she should hit the pirate in front of her. "… vengeance isn't the thing that's gonna make you feel better."

"It's gonna make this town safer," she said, balling her hands into tight fists to keep herself from really hitting him. "And I promised Henry to find the person responsible for his father's death. It's really all I can do for him right now."

"That can't be true. Have you tried talking to the boy?"

"As far as he is concerned I haven't seen Neal since he left me in jail. So anything I tell him about his dad being a hero sounds like I'm making it up just to make him feel better."

"Perhaps I could talk to him."

She couldn't hit something or someone, so like always she did the next best thing. Hitting someone verbally. "About what? Leather conditioner and eyeliner?"

She saw the hit land, his expression falling for just one second before he caught himself. "I knew Bae as a boy. Perhaps Henry would like to hear what his father was like when he was his age."

And now she felt like total crap. "You'd really do that?"

"Aye," he replied, the sincerity in his gaze just adding to the guilt already lying on her shoulders. "Could help the boy make peace with his father's passing. And me."

So she let them go. Because Hook had offered to help her son. A genuine offer. Without asking for anything in return. Something he did a lot lately. But now was definitely not the time to give that more than a fleeting thought.

-xxx-

Everything hurt. Her body, her mind, her heart. She couldn't do it any longer. It just hurt so fucking much to lose people she cared about. She might not have been in love with Neal anymore, but she still loved him. And now he was gone. Died in her arms after she needed to pull Gold's mind out of him. She knew she had to do it. He would have died anyways. But it still felt like she killed him.

And it hurt.

She grasped the shot glass with blurry eyes, downing another shot of Tequila, wondering if she could drink so much that she'd forgot about her fucked up life for just a few hours. She would definitely try.

Thank God, Granny had told her she could stay as long as she wanted. The darkness and silence of the diner was exactly what she needed right now.

She heard a rustling beside her, turning around sharply to tell whoever had the audacity to disturb her solitary drinking that they could take a hike. But then she saw the black leather coat swishing, heard the creak of leather as Hook sat down beside her and one look into his eyes made her shut her mouth again.

She recognized that look. Recognized the tiredness lying in the wrinkles around his eyes. Recognized the dullness that clouded his gaze. She'd seen it just a few hours ago in the mirror. Without a word she reached behind the bar and got another shot glass, filled it until the brim and pushed it carefully towards him.

"It's no rum," she said, her voice sounding hoarse. "But I'm sure it'll do."

"Aye," he murmured, his fingers closing around the glass. "It's alcohol, Swan. It'll be quite sufficient."

It was only half a bottle of Tequila and sharing it with the pirate meant she wasn't really drunk, just a little buzzed. Oddly enough, having him here with her didn't feel strange. Just sitting here with him and drinking … it was actually helping. The silence wasn't tension filled. It was actually … soothing was the only word that came to mind and wasn't that even stranger. Maybe it was the exhaustion that helped simmer down all the tension between them, because even the sexual attraction was on the back burner. Still there, but only like an undercurrent. Something that was as soothing as sharing a bottle of Tequila in silence. And she was really way too tired and exhausted to analyze _that_. So she didn't.

"I should go home. Get some rest," she broke the silence after an hour just sitting there, pushing herself off the bar stool.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him standing as well, his leather attire creaking again as he walked the few steps to the back of the diner before he turned around and said, "You should do that, love."

He was only standing there, leaning against the doorframe that led up to the rooms. He didn't do anything, didn't say another word. But he didn't have to.

Maybe it was the alcohol. She would definitely blame the alcohol come morning. But there it was. The wish to kiss him. She wanted him to make her forget. The attraction came back to the surface with full force as she watched him. Just like that the room was filled with sexual tension. And she was too tired to fight it any longer. Not giving herself any time to change her mind, she walked over to him, grabbed the lapels of his coat to yank him forward and then she kissed him. With all the hurt and longing that coursed through her body.

And God, it was just as good as she remembered. Even better than the heated kiss they'd shared in Neverland. She didn't want it to end. She just wanted to kiss him for eternity.

"Emma, this is a bad idea," he murmured against her lips when they needed to come up for air. But he didn't shove her away. No, his arm tightened even more around her instead. As if he needed her as much as she needed him.

"I don't think so." She shoved him back against the wall, her fingers already busy with opening his pants while she nibbled at his bottom lip. "What's wrong, pirate? Afraid you're not able to perform?"

She counted on her comment to rile him up. And it did. His eyes sparked when she leaned back to look up at him, and she couldn't keep herself from grinning as she pressed her hand against the very prominent bulge in his pants. His hips jutted forward and his mouth curled up into a lopsided smirk that shot heat straight down between her thighs and made her knees almost buckle out under her.

"Don't worry, love," he drawled, his arm coming around her waist again to pull her flush against his body. "There won't be any performance issues to be had tonight."

"Glad to hear it."

A guttural growl rumbled out of his chest as she finally managed to open his pants far enough to push her hand in and curl her fingers around his very impressive erection. He was hot and hard in her grasp, and she contemplated for a moment if she should just drop to her knees here and there. Her whole body was burning with desperate need, and she needed to do something before it would burn her up alive.

"Not here," he rasped into her ear, pulling her hand out of his pants and closing his fingers around hers to pull her up the stairs and into his room.

The door slammed shut behind them with a loud thud and she didn't waste any time. Pushing her hands under his coat, she shoved it off his shoulders.

"Emma, shouldn't we talk about ..."

"I don't want to talk, Killian," she interrupted him brusquely, pushing him back towards the bed while tugging his shirt out of his pants. "Not tonight. Tonight I just want you to make me forget." She shed her clothes in record time and climbed on the bed. Turning around to face him, she saw the conflicting emotions flicker over his face, feared he would back out at the last minute. She couldn't let him do it. She caught his gaze and held it, giving him a small smile as she held out her hand towards him. "Would you please join me?"

Another long moment passed in which he just watched her. The intense scrutiny of his gaze started to make her squirm with embarrassment. She was completely naked on his bed, and he was still half clothed and didn't make a move to get rid of the rest of his clothes. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She was just about to crawl off the bed and reach for her clothes as she saw the tension leave his rigid shoulders.

"I'm not strong enough to resist you, love."

Her breath caught in her throat as he started to strip off his clothes, revealing more and more skin. And God help her, her core squeezed almost painfully when he pushed his pants down his legs and straightened, letting her see him in all his naked glory. And what a glory it was. Damn. He was all lean and sinewy, his body covered in scars.

Her heart jumped into her throat when he only hesitated a second before reaching for his brace and opening all the buckles to pull it off his forearm. Tears pricked the back of her eyes as she stared up at him. She knew that taking off the brace was a big deal. So big that she didn't really want to think about it.

Since she wanted to avoid letting awkwardness descend between them she leaned forward and grabbed his hand to pull him down to her. A moan spilled from her lips as he lowered his body on hers, his erection pressing into her stomach. Slipping her hand between their bodies, she found him hard and ready for her and she shifted her hips until the tip of his cock slid through her folds. Not using a condom might bite her in the ass, but she just didn't want to interrupt their moment. Her IUD was still in place and she didn't think he was carrying any dreadful diseases. And honestly, she wanted to feel him. All of him.

"Do it," she whispered against his neck. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she tilted her hips upwards. "Take me, Killian."

This time he didn't hesitate, he took her in one deep thrust, their simultaneous groans reverberating through the room as he stretched her wide. Of course, Killian being the gentleman he was, he waited for her to adjust to his size. But she couldn't wait. She needed him to move. Now.

She felt him shift atop her, feared he would push up to look her in the eyes. She definitely didn't want to meet his gaze. Knew that looking him in the eyes would make it too real. Too emotional. She didn't need emotions. She needed to forget.

Burying her fingers in his hair, she kept his face against her shoulder while she trailed her other hand down his back. He shivered against her and she closed her eyes, shutting off her brain as she forced herself to just feel. The scrape of his scruff against her neck as he turned his head slightly to press his lips on her skin. His thick cock buried deep inside of her. The hair on his chest making her nipples tighten in need. The weight of his body pressing hers into the mattress.

"I need you," she whispered, not caring how vulnerable that sounded. "Move."

And he did. Taking her with deep, hard thrusts. Pulling her out of her mind and just making her forget until her body shattered into a million pieces when she fell over the edge.

-xxx-

He was convinced that she would push him away come morning, so he was adamant to take as much as she was willing to give him tonight. He'd let her sleep for a few hours until she started to get restless, clearly caught in the beginnings of a nightmare. He promised her to make her forget, and he would not let her sleep be disturbed like that. He rather disturbed her sleep with arousal and not sorrow.

"Wake up, Swan," he murmured into her ear, his hand roaming over her body, coaxing it awake with gentle brushes over her already hardening nipples and gentle taps against her clit. When she opened her eyes sleepily he slid two fingers into her, sliding them in and out of her tight heat while kissing her lazily. He waited for the telltale signs that she was fully awake. The upwards jut of her hips as she tried to chase his fingers when he retreated, her hand wandering down his back until she curled her fingers around his ass.

Reluctantly he stopped the kiss, adamant to quench his curiosity and find out how she tasted like between her legs. He kissed his way down her body, stopping briefly at her breasts to give her nipples a few hard sucks before trailing his lips down over her stomach. Settling between her legs, he pressed them further apart with his arms, almost groaning as he looked at her glistening quim, his mouth watering in anticipation of the feast that awaited him.

"Killian, you don't have to ..."

He flicked his tongue through her folds and over her clit, his cock jerking against the mattress as he finally tasted her for the very first time.

"I know, love," he murmured against her warm heat. Turning his head, he pressed a kiss onto her smooth thigh before looking up at her. "But would you let me cherish you? Let me lick you and suck you until you can't think of anything else but my cock being buried deep inside of you?"

Her hand shot out, her fingers grabbing his hair as she hissed, "Damn, I knew you'd be a dirty talker in bed."

"Well, I'm a pirate," he replied, cocking an eyebrow and shooting her a saucy grin.

She actually laughed, arching her back and tugging at his hair. "Then I guess I have to surrender to your pillaging and plundering, right?"

"Aye," he told her, giving in to the insistent pressure of her fingers and leaning back down to devour her. "But be prepared, princess. I excel at pillaging and plundering."

And then he did exactly that, pillaged and plundered her with his mouth and tongue and fingers until her hands tightened around his hair almost painfully and her hips jerked upwards, his name a hoarse croak spilling from her lips as she fell apart.

He could eat her out for hours, but Emma apparently had another idea. Her cheeks were tinged with a rosy hue, her chest was still heaving with harsh breaths as he looked up at her. But she still tightened her fingers around his hair again and tugged.

"On your back, pirate," she commanded, pushing him until he was flush on his back.

His cock was pounding almost painfully as she eyed him hungrily. His whole body trembled with anticipation, hoping she would put him out of his misery. In which form he didn't care. But if she wouldn't touch him very soon, he needed to take matters into his own hand. He didn't need to worry. She pushed his legs apart and kneeled between them, splaying her hands out over his chest and trailing them down over his stomach and towards where he wanted her to touch him the most. As she crawled back to lay down between his legs he almost stopped breathing.

"Swan, I don't expect you to return the favor," he felt compelled to say. He might wanted nothing more than her mouth around his cock, but he didn't want her to feel obligated to do it. "You don't have to ..."

"Shut up," she almost growled as she curled her fingers around his shaft. She licked her lips and he almost came then and there, precum leaking out of his cock as she pumped him slowly while her eyes kept watching him. She threw him a wicked grin, her voice going husky as she said, "It's my turn to do some pillaging and plundering of my own now."

She leaned down and seconds later her wet, hot mouth engulfed him, her tongue swirling around the head of his cock before taking him as deep as she could until he hit the back of her throat.

"Bloody hell," he cursed, feeling her smirk around his length as she pulled back, just to repeat the sweet torture all over again.

He forced his eyes to stay open so that he could watch her lips stretch wide to take all of him in. His balls drew up as she licked and sucked him, pushing him way too fast towards his climax. He wanted it to last longer, but the vixen between his legs apparently wasn't willing to let him last. She grinned around his cock and shot him a mischievous look before she pushed down and took him to the back of her throat. He tried desperately to stave off his orgasm, but then she swallowed around his tip and the fight was over. He shouted her name as he spilled his release down her throat, being reduced to a whimpering mess as she kept suckling at him until he couldn't take it any longer. Pulling her up, he wrapped his arms around her, reveling in having her snuggle against him. Her head was lying on his chest, her legs were entwined with his. He fought against sleep, but he lost that fight, too. As sleep enveloped him he wondered if she'd still be here when he awoke.

-xxx-

She woke up comfortable warm, snuggling even deeper into the warmth of the blanket. It took her hazy mind a few minutes until she was fully awake and realized where exactly she was.

Completely naked. In the arms of one Killian Jones. After spending the whole night with him.

The events of the last night came crashing back into her mind and with it the panic set in. She scrambled out of the bed, almost face-planting as her feet got caught in the blanket Killian had thrown over them at one point during the night.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she searched frantically for her discarded clothes, trying to ignore the different aches of her body that kept reminding her what she'd been doing over the last few hours. Or whom she'd been doing. She bit her tongue to keep herself from falling into a hysterical laughing fit as she clipped her bra close. She just slipped into her pants as she heard rustling behind her and she cursed inwardly for not being able to sneak out without having to face the man she had a few rounds of amazingly hot sex with.

"Swan?" he croaked and she took in a deep breath, trying to steel herself before she faced him. Her heart skipped a beat as she turned around slowly and risked a look at him. Of course the pirate looked delicious in all his disheveled morning glory. Go figures.

"I have to go. I ..." she stuttered, grabbing her jacket and slipping into it. "Thank you for … But this was a one-time thing. I … I'm sorry for … I have to go."

"Of course, love."

She ignored the crestfallen expression that flitted over his face, ignored the defeated tone of his voice as she pushed her feet into her boots and hurried towards the door.

"I ..." She didn't meet his gaze as she fumbled for words, couldn't look him in the eyes, afraid she might crawl back into bed with him when she let herself look at him too closely. She forced herself to smile and waved her hand through the air, the most ridiculous words coming out of her mouth before she could stop them, "I'll see you when I see you."

She turned around and walked out of the room, rolling her eyes at herself.

 _Way to go, Emma. Way to go._

* * *

 **Storybrooke – Day 23**

He pulled the spyglass away from his eye, his heart aching in his chest as he stepped deeper into the shadows so that no one could actually see him from the opposite side of the road.

He wanted to be with her. Wanted to sit beside her at the table. He wanted to laugh with her, hold her hand, wrap his arm around her and pull her close. But she didn't really want him to be there. She made that blatantly clear over the last few days. She didn't want to be here at all. She wanted to go back to New York as soon as possible.

He knew she would push him away. Knew that he shouldn't have given in. Shouldn't have kissed her back that night at Granny's. He should have told her to go home. But he didn't. He'd been too weak to resist. Too weak to do the right thing and not sleep with her.

Maybe it was better this way. He didn't deserve her anyways. He would help her defeat Zelena, and then he would just vanish. She didn't want him to be in her life, and as soon as she and her family were out of danger he would heed her wishes. Get out of her life and never come back.

He would never be able to get back to his old way of life. He knew that. He would also never stop loving her. He knew that, too. Not even being apart from her for one year had changed his feelings for her. He'd lived with a broken heart for over a year. He could do it again. He'd survive.

Zelena might have cursed his lips to take Emma's power away. But the witch's plans weren't about to come to fruition. There was no way that Emma would ever kiss him again. And he would rather die than let anything happen to her or her family.

* * *

 **Storybrooke – Day 26**

She would go back to New York with Henry. It was the best thing to do. For both of them. And no matter how many times Hook was trying to tell her that Storybrooke was the better option, she didn't listen. She needed to go. Especially since she'd been weak this one night and let herself fall into bed with the pirate.

"Why are you so scared of staying?" Hook asked her as they walked towards the farmhouse. "I think because you can see a future here. A happy one."

He was wrong. He really, really was. And if she kept pushing him away he might finally get the message and leave her alone. "Let me guess," she drawled as she faced him. "With you?"

Before Hook could find a reply for her barb a saccharine voice pulled them out of their argument, "Ohhh, you two are so adorable. But instead of looking at each other maybe you should be focused on me. Also, without magic … that could prove to be a challenge."

"Next time you try to take my power away you try enchanting the lips of someone I'll actually kiss," she spat out, seeing Killian roll his eyes. God, she wanted to smack him. Again.

"See, Emma. You can keep your magic, what makes you 'oh so sad'," Zelena said in a mocking tone. "Or you can save the man you can't wait to run away from."

Nobody beside the two of them knew that they'd already done much more than kissing, and she wasn't willing to give Zelena even more leverage over her than she already had. Besides, it would never happen again. It had been a one-time thing. She'd mourned Neal, had too much Tequila and not enough sleep. That were the reasons she'd fallen into bed with the pirate. Nothing else. Not that it hadn't been a great experience. He'd shown her a good time, keeping up with the fantasies she had about him. After all he was a pirate, and he definitely didn't disappoint.

Shaking herself out of her reveries she came back to the present just in time to see Gold wave his hand and Hook flying through the air and head-first into the tub of water a few feet away. She ran towards him, trying without avail to pull him out, knowing damn well that she didn't stand a chance as long as Gold was keeping him under with his magic. But she didn't give up until Zelena and Gold finally disappeared in a puff of green smoke. But Hook wasn't moving anymore.

Her heart slammed into her throat as she curled her hands around his coat and pulled him out of the water, guiding him towards the ground.

"Hook, wake up," she cried out, shaking him in hopes to get him breathing again. "Killian, come back to me."

She could not lose him. She just couldn't lose him. So she did the only thing she could. She leaned down and pressed her mouth on his, pushing air into his lungs. She felt the whoosh of magic as their lips connected. She didn't care. She would give up her magic thousand times over if it meant he would still be alive.

Leaning back, she looked down at him, her whole body trembling when he still didn't make a move. Brushing her fingers over his cheek, she refused to believe the unthinkable. He was not gone. He couldn't be. Her hand started to shake and she whispered, "Hook, come back to me."

It probably had only been seconds but it felt like hours until he finally started to cough up water. She helped him tilt his head to spit it out, an enormous wave of relief washing over her as he opened his eyes and looked up at her. That had definitely been too close for her comfort.

"Swan?" he asked with a husky voice, lifting his fingers to his lips. His eyes widened in horror when he realized why he was breathing again. "What did you do?"

She wanted to slap him. Hard. She wanted to slap him as much as she wanted to hug him and kiss him. She wanted to rip his pants open and impale herself on him just to be sure that he really wasn't dead. That she didn't lose him.

Of course she didn't act on any of those feelings. Because that would reveal far too much. Would show him how much she really cared for him.

 _Cared for him?_

She jolted backwards, stumbling to her feet. The thought had caught her totally of guard. But she clearly didn't really care for him, right? Not in the 'I can't live without you' kind of way. She would have given up her magic for anyone, right? Of course she would have.

Shaking her head, she chastised herself for getting all melodramatic only because she'd brought Hook back from the dead. After all, this crisis had been averted and they could go back to chasing Zelena and putting an end to this madness once and for all.

"Let's go back to the hospital and make sure Zelena didn't go after my parents while I was saving your ass."

* * *

 **Storybrooke – Day 29**

Here he was again. Running again towards danger, instead of away from it. Because the stubborn woman he was head over heels in love with could not stay away from danger. So he couldn't either. Because he would never leave her alone.

He'd tried to convince her that going back to New York wouldn't make her happy. So he'd gone after her with the storybook in hand. To convince her that leaving Storybrooke was a mistake she would regret eventually. And knowing her the way he did, he knew she would probably not come back out of pure stubbornness.

She was looking for a home. He could understand that. But why she thought she could find a real home in New York was beyond him. Though her claim to get Henry away from all the violence and villains was actually a good one, considering that they were standing in front of a barn with rattling doors and powerful magic whipping all around them. Storybrooke was definitely a place where a lot of bad things happened. But it didn't mean there weren't any good things. The good things might also be able to outweigh the bad things. If you were open to seeing them.

But first he needed to get her out of immediate danger before they ended up being sucked into the time portal.

"Wait." He grabbed her arm to hold her back. "We have to get out of here."

"Not until we find a way to close it," she replied, not willing to step away.

"You've got your magic back?" he asked, hoping to make her see reason.

"No."

"Then we're not bloody messing with any of this. Let's go."

But it was too late. Before they could even take a step away from the barn, the doors crashed open and they were swept off their feet, the maelstrom of the time portal catching them and dragging them over the ground.

Pushing his hook into the hard packed ground, he was able to stop them both from falling through the portal. Emma was holding on to his hand, but the pull of the portal was too strong. He could feel her grip getting weaker.

"Hold on," he cried out, trying to get more purchase with his hook so that he could pull them both out of danger.

"I can't," she yelled, her fingers slipping out of his hand. She fell into the time portal and was gone a moment later.

He only hesitated one second, not that there was even a choice to make. The choice had been taken out of his hand a long time ago and he grumbled under his breath, "One of these days I'm gonna stop chasing this woman."

Yanking his hook out of the ground, he let himself be swept into the portal.


	3. Enchanted Forest - Part 1

**This was supposed to be the last part, but the story is getting way longer than I expected and it makes more sense to tell it in five parts. This is the first part of the CS movie from Emma's POV, the second part will be from Killian's POV (I hope to get that 'on paper' tomorrow), and the Storybrooke part of the CS movie will be the epilogue (which I intend to write sometime next week).**

* * *

 **Enchanted Forest – Day** **29**

She fell hard onto the ground, losing her breath for a moment. She dreaded to look up, keeping her eyes closed a little longer to prepare herself for whatever she'd see when she opened her eyes. But not looking wouldn't change anything, so she pushed herself off the ground and took a look around. The hollow feeling in her stomach grew when her worst fears were confirmed. They were definitely in another realm. Far away from her family. Far away from Henry.

"No," she said with a husky voice, still trying to fill her lungs with much needed air. "No."

"Appears we're back in the Enchanted Forest," Hook said beside her. She wasn't even surprised that he'd jumped after her, and didn't that thought opened up a can of worms she definitely needed to stay closed.

"Yeah, I got that," she told him exasperated, swallowing down the need to lash out. It wasn't Hook's fault that they were here now. He wanted to get reinforcements before facing the portal, and now they were here. Trapped in the Enchanted Forest.

"The only question is when."

She looked around, hoping to find anything that could tell them which time they'd tumbled into. Her eyes fell on a piece of paper stuck to the tree bark in front of her, a chill running down her spine as a familiar face greeted her. The face of her mother. On a wanted poster.

"Swan?"

"I have a pretty good idea."

They were back in the Enchanted Forest at a time when her mother was being hunted by the Evil Queen. But there was one thing that could help them right now. She turned around and searched the ground for the satchel Hook had brought with him. Kneeling down, she grabbed it and upended it to shake out the storybook.

"Well, I suppose we're lucky we wound up in this time," Hook said, clearly trying to find a silver lining in that fucked up situation they found themselves in. "We could have appeared in the middle of the Ogre Wars, or smack dab in the belly of a whale." She flipped the book open until she found the page she was looking for. "Why are you reading that now?"

"Because when we were falling through I was thinking about Henry and the story we were all reading at Granny's."

"What? You think that time portals work like every other, so they take you back to where you're thinking of?"

"Not where. When."

"Excellent deduction," Hook said, leaning down to grab the satchel and throw it over his shoulder. "Unless, it appears they share another quality. They don't stay open for the return trip."

"No," she replied, cursing herself for not going back to New York sooner. "We're trapped in the past. I should have left Storybrooke the instant we defeated Zelena. This is exactly the kind of thing that is not happening in New York."

"On the bright side ... I'm sure real estate is much more reasonable here."

"Don't," she snapped, shaking her head. She was not in the mood for one of his jokes right now.

"I understand your frustration, but we've been in dire straits before," he said with an even voice. "There is no need to be antsy. We have our wits. We just have to focus on being constructive." He looked around before meeting her eyes again. "So, any ideas how to go back?"

"How would I know how to get back to the future?" she asked in exasperation. "Who do I look like ... Marty McFly?"

"Marty McWho?"

"The kid with the lightning and the DeLorean and they went back in time and they ..."

"Is he some sort of wizard?"

"No, Marty McFly is not a wizard, he is ..." she trailed off, suddenly realizing who might be able to help them. "Maybe a wizard is exactly what we need. Rumplestilstkin. We have to find Rumplestiltskin."

But Hook wasn't really listening to her anymore. She heard what had him distracted a moment before she was pushed against the tree, his body pressing into hers as he whispered into her ear, "Black knights."

She should probably be shaking in her boots, having heard a few stories from her father and mother about the knights that had been under the Evil Queen's control. But she was way too aware of Hook's warm body so close to hers, certain parts of her body already reacting to his close proximity. Not that she wanted them to react. Definitely not. But when he stepped back a flutter of disappointment speared through her. She turned around with a sharp retort on her tongue to chase away the unwanted feeling. Her eyes met his and she forgot what she wanted to say. Her disappointment changed into something far more potent, a need rocketing through her that was so powerful that she could hardly keep herself from jumping into his arms and kiss the living daylights out of him. Apparently she wasn't able to hide that need from him because the color of his eyes changed, heat sparking out of them. She took a step towards him, her hands shaking as she lifted them to grab the lapels of his coat and yank him into a kiss that would make her forget about their surroundings and the fact that they were trapped in another realm. Just one tiny little kiss. That wouldn't hurt anyone, right?

Her fingers closed around the cool leather, his lids falling shut when she pulled him down to her. She could feel his breath brushing over her lips. She wanted to kiss him with a desperation that made her whole body shake, but before she could give in, before she could lose herself in him, she found the last shreds of her wits that weren't drowned by the rush of lust coursing through her body. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, her lips ghosting over his in a barely there touch. She managed to step back before she would lose the fight, releasing her death grip on his leather coat.

He opened his eyes slowly, confusion clouding his gaze as he looked at her. For a few seconds neither of them said a word, the tension lying heavy between them. But then he straightened his shoulders and blinked. When his eyes opened again the heat was gone, replaced by determination and a hint of defeat.

"We should find the crocodile then."

He adjusted the satchel over his shoulder and turned around, starting to walk towards the road. She followed him, ignoring the short burst of anger slicing through her. She shouldn't feel betrayed because he was apparently able to go back to business without any effort while her body was still vibrating with the need she'd refused to fulfill. But now was definitely not the time to get hung up on this whole fucked up situation that was her attraction to the pirate. They needed to get back to Storybrooke. She needed to get back to Henry. Everything else had to wait until she had the time to think about it.

-xxx-

 _Even the smallest of changes could have catastrophic consequences._

How right Hook had been. Catastrophic consequences indeed. Only because they'd been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Only because she'd leaned on a branch and the sound of the breaking twig had caused her mother to fall from the tree she'd been hiding on. She'd interrupted her parents meeting and now they needed to get Snow White to Midas's ball so that her mother could steal the ring she was supposed to steal from Prince Charming in the middle of the forest.

And to do that they needed the help of a certain pirate. And wasn't that just the icing on the cake.

She was currently sitting opposite said pirate while the same pirate was laughing raucously a few feet away at another table. He was probably cheating at the dice game they were playing over there. Being a pirate and all. Not that she cared. One way or another. The only thing she cared about was getting her parent's story back on track.

"There I am. Rather dashing, don't you think?"

"Is that even a good idea?" she asked Hook, not sure that his insane plan could actually work. "What about preserving the future?"

"It'll be fine. Given what I'm drinking ... if I remember anything I'll blame the rum. So make sure I ... he remains occupied. Doesn't return to my ship. I'll take care of the rest."

Fine. She could do this. Shouldn't be much of a problem. She had a few assets she could take advantage of. She shrugged off the coat and reached for the cord between her breasts to loosen it up a little.

"What are you doing?"

"Making sure she stays occupied. Shouldn't be difficult," she replied, wondering why his whole demeanor had suddenly changed. When she realized what was obviously his problem she couldn't resist teasing him, so she leaned forward and said, "You and I both know I'm his type."

She stood up from the table, ready to go distract the pirate sitting at the other table, but Hook stepped in her way.

"Swan, the man sitting there ... you don't know him," he told her with a grave voice, a flicker of unease washing over his face. What made her even more curious to meet his past self. "Just be careful."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you're jealous," she said, not able to stop the smile that curled up her lips.

He gulped hard, averting his gaze to the ground. Without another word he turned away and walked off. Taking in a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders and walked over to the pirate's table. Putting her hands on the table, she leaned forward, giving him an ample view of her cleavage.

"What are you boys playing?" she asked, jubilating inwardly as his mouth dropped open and his gaze turned calculated as he eyed her.

 _Gotcha._

-xxx-

She would be lying if she said she wasn't curious about getting to know this Hook better. She was curious. Very curious. And maybe the present Hook had reasons to be jealous over her spending time with the past Hook, because she really enjoyed talking to him. Speaking to this version of Hook answered so many questions she had about the man who'd crossed realms to save her. Even if Hook had warned her about his past self she had to admit that he was charming. Even back then. There were times were she had to remind herself that she was there on a mission and not to get drunk with the handsome pirate in front of her. But it was really hard to stay on track. After all, she knew exactly how he kissed and watching him being all smoldering pirate was pushing a few of her buttons. Flirting with him was a little too much fun right now. But why not play a little? Just for a few moments. After all, she needed to keep him occupied, right?

"I have a confession to make."

"Most women do."

"I want to know ... how you got the hook," she said, letting her fingers play of his metal appendage. She didn't want to look closer at the fact that feeling the cool metal under her fingers was turning her on. "I hear so many stories."

His voice dropped low as he scooted closer towards her, and she couldn't keep her body from reacting to his nearness. His thigh brushed against hers, and a flare of heat blossomed up from where his leg touched hers, settling deep in her stomach. "So ... you know who I am and you haven't even told me your name."

"What fun would that be?"

"We're just two ships passing in the night then."

His voice was doing ridiculous things to her lower parts, making it hard for her to keep up the whole charade. But it wasn't as if she had another choice. So she handed him another shot of rum and said, "Passing closely, I hope."

"Speaking of ships ... what do you say we leave this place and I'll ... show you mine."

"Wait," she said, pushing her hand against his upper thigh to keep him seated, the feel of the leather under her fingers and the husky timbre of his voice making her whole body tingle. Especially since she knew he didn't only wanted to show her his ship, but so much more. It was a pity that she couldn't take him up on his offer.

"How about we have a few drinks first?" she asked him with a sultry voice, pouring another shot of rum and handing it to him.

God, how much she wished she didn't have an ulterior motive here. But of course she couldn't enjoy just being with him, no matter how smoldering his eyes were. She needed to keep him here for one reason and one reason only. To give Hook the time he needed to get her mother to steal the ring from her father. Not to mention that there was this small, insistent voice at the back of her head that kept whispering in her ear that doing anything with this Hook would be betraying the other Hook. What was totally insane. Since she didn't have anything going on with Hook. This one or the other one.

Jeez, keeping the different Hooks straight in her head was getting exhausting. And a whole lot confusing.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to get me drunk." And having an intoxicated Hook sitting right in front of her with eyes that promised her unmeasurable pleasures didn't make it any easier for her. Nor the fact that she already knew how good those more enjoyable activities would be. "Which is usually my tactic."

"What's wrong, Captain?" she drawled. "Can't hold your rum?"

"No, not only can I hold it ... but I can carry it right out the door." He grabbed the bottle of rum from the table before he turned towards her. He was so close to her that if she leaned forward only a fraction she would be able to press her lips against his. She couldn't believe how much she wanted to, especially when he rasped in a voice that shot sparks through her whole body, "What do you say, we set sail." Before she could give in to the insane urge to kiss him he pushed himself off the bench. He was really a sight to behold. All this black leather. And then the red vest that practically begged to be ripped off his body. Not to mention the hardly concealed lust burning out of his eyes. "Come back with me for a nightcap or shall I find someone else?"

 _God, yes._

Her body screamed at her to follow him to his ship and just fall into bed with him. The thought might make her feel guilty, but she couldn't quench that small spark of curiosity. No matter how hard she tried. Would he be as attentive in bed as _her_ Hook? Would he rock her world as hard as _her_ Hook had rocked hers this one night they'd spent together? And when exactly did she start to call him _her_ Hook?

 _Damn it._

She couldn't let him go, though. She needed to keep him away from his ship as long as possible. So she had to take his offer for a nightcap. Just to keep the mission on track, right?

But no matter what stalling tactics she used it only took them a few minutes to get to his ship and even her last attempt turned out to be totally futile.

"I think I should rest for a moment," she told him, stopping to sit down on a barrel.

"Oh, no need. No, no need," he said, lifting her into his arms as if she didn't weigh more than a feather. "I'd carried rum barrels heavier than you."

"Actually, I feel much better." She turned her head, following the hooded figure who'd just stepped off his ship with her eyes. She hoped Hook had been able to convince her mother that she needed to get to Midas's ball and steal the ring.

"Behold, the Rolly Joger!" Hook cried out as he carried her onto his ship, ignoring her comment completely.

"Captain?" Someone asked and Hook put her down on her feet, swaying slightly beside her. He might hold his rum, but he was clearly intoxicated. Which should be a frequent occurrence. But his crew member looked clearly baffled about the fact that his drunken captain had just carried a woman on the ship. But then he spoke again and his words curled her stomach into knots. "How did you ... I thought you were still below deck? And why does your vest keep changing?"

Damn it. Hook was still on the ship. Damn it, damn it, damn it. She needed to find a way to distract this Hook enough so that the other Hook could sneak off the ship.

She swirled around and grabbed his coat. "I seem to remember a nightcap was promised. Find one." Hook leaned forward, clearly wanting to kiss her. But she bend backwards, evading his lips. "And I'll be waiting."

She giggled and rushed to his cabin, climbing down the stairs as fast as possible, hoping beyond hope that Hook was already gone. But no such luck.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you," he said, exasperation tinging his voice as he added, "I thought I told you to keep him occupied."

"I am."

"By taking him back to my ship?"

"His ship."

"You know what I mean."

"I stalled as long as I could. I thought you'd be gone by now. I'll try to keep him above deck so that you can get out of here."

But before she could do that the hatch opened and the pirate climbed down the stairs. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hook duck down and disappear in a corner. This was going to be a challenge to keep the pirate distracted enough so that Hook could climb out without being seen by him.

"Hey," she said, crowding him against the stairs to keep him from stepping further into the cabin.

"Where may you be going," he rasped, his voice so husky and full of delightful promises that it should be illegal. At least the distraction she had in mind wouldn't be that much of a hardship. "I do hope you're not having second thoughts."

"No," she replied, pulling him closer. "I just got tired of waiting."

She crushed her lips on his, knowing it was the only way to keep him completely focused on her. But God, he kissed exactly like _her_ Hook. For just one moment she was lost in the kiss, tangling her tongue with his, tasting the rum they'd consumed. His arms went around her, pulling her into his body. His arousal pressed into her stomach, lust springing to life between her legs. She almost forgot why she was currently kissing the pirate, but then she remembered and chastised herself for letting herself fall into the kiss like that. She opened her eyes while keeping her lips pressed on his, looking over his shoulder to see if Hook made it out okay.

But he was still there. She pulled back, keeping her fingers curled around the lapel of the pirate's coat to be able to pull him further into the room and away from the chair.

"Apologies. A woman as beautiful as you deserves my full and prompt attention."

He leaned in to kiss her again, bending her backwards. She would probably end up on the table behind her with her legs spread wide. Not that that fantasy hadn't crossed her mind before. Though not with this Hook. She tried desperately to not be swept away by the passion that coursed through her body. It wasn't really the man before her that ignited it anyway. It was the other Hook.

She was still fighting the reactions of her body as a hook appeared on the pirate's shoulder. The pirate turned and Hook just crushed his fist into the other man's face, knocking him out cold.

"Are you kidding me?" she burst out, ignoring the tingle of lust still playing havoc with her body. "How's that not gonna have consequences?"

"He was asking for it. And like I said ... he'll blame the rum. Let's get out of here."

She climbed up the stairs without another comment, somehow relieved to escape this insane situation. Her lips were still tingling from the kiss, flickers of lust still coursing through her body. When she stepped on the deck, she took in some deep breaths to get a grip on herself. She needed to focus on the mission and forget that she wanted to devour the man coming to stand beside her.

-xxx-

She never thought she would ever be a part of the whole princess life, but here she was. In a ridiculous dress at a royal ball. How insane was that?

"Mary Margaret and David are always going on about this ball and that ball. What's the big deal about these things?"

She really didn't get it. But then the crowd before them parted and she got a good look on the dance floor. Couples were dancing on the floor, but she'd never seen such elaborate dancing in real life. It was ... breathtakingly beautiful.

"You were saying?" Hook replied with a teasing voice.

"What am I supposed to do?" she whispered, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She wasn't from this world. She didn't fit in here. But then Hook's hand closed around hers and he pulled her onto the dance floor with him.

"Blend in."

"Wait." She turned towards him, eyeing him speculatively. He was ridiculously handsome in his prince's attire and her heart sped up in her chest. "Are you saying you know how to do whatever this is?"

"It's called a waltz," he told her, putting her hand on his shoulder. He took her other hand and put it in his fake one. "There's only one rule ..." His eyes met hers and she suddenly knew with eerie certainty that she didn't want to go back to New York. Not without him. "Pick a partner who know's what he's doing."

And then they started to dance.

It was magical. She couldn't find a better word to describe it. The reason why they were at the ball disappeared into the background and she let herself just enjoy being swirled over the dance floor. Hook was smiling at her the whole time while he led her through the dance with an ease that astounded her. While they waltzed through the ballroom, she realized a very important thing. She might have fought her attraction for him with tooth and nail for a very long time, but she couldn't imagine living her life without him by her side any longer.

She wanted him to be there.

She needed him to be there.

She was done fighting it.


	4. Enchanted Forest - Part 2

**Sorry for the delay on this ... real life kicked my ass over the last week.**

 **Someone pointed out to me that this story isn't a Canon Divergence fic since I'm not really changing anything. And of course they're right. This is more a '** _Canon Expansion_ **' fic, or a more accurate name would probably be a '** _Canon Dive_ **'. When I started this story I didn't really know where I wanted to go with it so I called it a Canon Divergence fic first. It turned out to be more a diving into Emma and Killian's thoughts during 3B with the addition of more mature content.**

* * *

 **Enchanted Forest - Day 30**

This had definitely not been part of the plan. This got a hell more complicated than he'd expected. Emma being captured by the Evil Queen was only one of many obstacles they needed to overcome during their adventure in the Enchanted Forest.

One thing was for sure ... it got never boring by her side.

Now he was trudging once again through the forest. This time in search of her parents. He needed help to get into the castle and find Emma. And hopefully then they could finally go home to their time.

He hoped she wouldn't run back to New York the moment they were back in Storybrooke. During their waltz yesterday he had the feeling that her walls weren't as impenetrable as before anymore. She'd relaxed in his arms, even smiled once or twice. Even teasing him. He hadn't seen her this relaxed in a very long time. Actually he couldn't remember ever seeing her like this. He wanted that moment back. Wanted a lot more moments like that with her. There was this one second after he'd put her hands in the right position and locked eyes with her ... he could swear there was something there. In the air between them. Something more. He'd lost his breath for a moment, fought the urge to lean forward and press his lips on hers, to just let himself be swept up in the moment. But he'd been afraid. Afraid to push her too hard. Afraid he'd misread the signs. He just didn't want to ruin the moment.

The flicker of hope he'd felt during the dance was still there, though. He could feel it burn low in his gut, a steady flame that couldn't be doused by any negative thoughts. He saw a chance for them, and he would bloody hell take it and hold on to it as soon as they managed to portal back.

"I told you I'd find you. No matter what you do, I will always find you."

He stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing the prince's voice, lingering behind a tree and observing the scene before him. Emma's mother was trapped in a net hanging from a tree branch and David stood only a few feet away with a big grin on his face.

"Is this the only way you can catch a woman?" Mary Margaret called down to David mockingly. "By entrapping her?"

"It's the only way to catch thieving scum."

"Aren't you a real Prince Charming?"

He grinned as he listened to their conversation. Emma definitely inherited her gumption from her mother. Snow White had obviously been a hellion back in the day, too.

"I have a name, you know."

"Don't care. Charming suits you. Now cut me down, Charming."

"Why would I do that?" David held up the same wanted poster Emma and he had seen pinned to a tree after they'd tumbled through the portal. "Snow White." Mary Margaret visibly recoiled, apparently fearing the worst. Though Killian knew David wouldn't rat her out. Or at least he hoped they didn't change the past that much. "Relax. I'm not gonna turn you in. All I want is the ring you stole."

"Not the jewelry type," Mary Margaret shot back.

"Indeed. I noticed."

"I don't have your ring."

"Then why don't I believe you."

It was time for him to enter the scene and hope Emma's parents were willing to help him.

"You should," he said, stepping out from behind the tree. "She is telling the truth, mate." He bowed slightly, realizing he should probably introduce himself. "Prince Charles. Lovely ball the other night. The mutton was a tad overcooked, but that happens." He gestured to Emma's mother still trapped in the net. "Snow White doesn't have your ring. But I can tell you who does. My princess. And I need your help to get her back."

"She has my ring?" David asked. "That's two women who robbed me. Where is she?"

"Well, that's the problem. The Queen's castle."

"Actually, that's not a problem at all," Snow White told them. "I know it well. It used to be mine. I can get us in there, but not from up here." She looked at him and said, "So you let me down, you get your princess ..." Her eyes shifted to David and she added, "... you get your ring and I never have to see your charming face again."

David hesitated only for a second before he shrugged his shoulders and unsheathed his sword to cut the cord holding the net up. "All right. We have a deal."

-xxx-

It definitely was weird to sit at a fire with the father of the woman he hoped would thaw up to him very soon. Back in the future David didn't really approve of him, though their relationship got a hell of a lot better after he'd saved the prince from certain death in Neverland. But still, he was sure David wouldn't like it one bit if he found out that his only daughter had enjoyed the more enjoyable activities with a pirate like him. In David's eyes he was probably not good enough for his daughter. And maybe the prince was right. Maybe Emma deserved someone better. Someone who didn't carry the scars he was carrying. Someone who wasn't tarnished by the bad things he did in the past. He'd been a pirate through and through, lost sight of the man he wanted to be when his brother was still alive along the way. Until Emma stepped into his path and changed everything.

Since he wasn't willing to fall down the rabbit hole that were his conflicting thoughts about the future of his and Emma's relationship he decided that it was better to start a conversation with the prince.

"You're excited for your nuptials?"

"I'm marrying Midas's daughter," David replied. "What's not to be excited about?"

"I don't mean to pry, mate. But you don't exactly look like a man who's doing this by choice."

"I always thought I'd marry for love. And here I am about to enter into what amounts to a business transaction. A merger of two kingdoms. I don't know ... this whole ordeal makes me wonder if there is even such a thing as true love."

"I once felt as you did, mate," he replied, staring pensively into the fire, remembering the first time he'd laid eyes on Emma. He'd felt like he'd been struck by lightning when he looked up at her, which turned into a burning fire inside of him the more time he'd spent with her. She was his savior, too. In more than one way. "All it took was meeting the right person and everything changed."

"Princess Leia," David said knowingly. "The one we're rescuing?"

"Aye." Princess Leia, indeed. His swan, his savior. The woman he was head over heels in love with. "I'd go to the end of the world for her. Or time."

"And she for you, I take it?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. Because he didn't know. He didn't know how she felt about him. Didn't know if he really had a chance to start a relationship with her. If he was worth it. If he was able to bring down her walls.

"What's the problem?"

"There are many complications."

"Family? Because my father is making things quite difficult for me."

"Aye, there's that." He suppressed the chuckle wanting to bubble out of him. Since one part of Emma's family was currently sitting beside him without knowing that they were talking about his daughter. Bloody hell, this whole going back in time was rattling his brain. "I'm not so sure her parents approve of me."

"Given the length you've gone to save her, they'd be crazy not to."

He would do anything for her. Would give up his life for her. Though he wasn't sure he'd obtain David's approval even if Emma's father would remember this conversation. But maybe he would.

"I hope you remember that."

-xxx-

He rushed through the tunnels, hoping to find Emma down in the dungeons. There was always the possibility that Regina had taken her somewhere else. But before he could come up with a plan to search the whole castle without being noticed, feet pounding on the hard-packed floor were heard around the corner. He slowed down and raised his sword, ready to struck anyone who stood in his way to find Emma. But when the person rounded the corner he exhaled a breath of relief.

"Swan."

"Hook."

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, his knees going weak with the relief to see her unharmed. "You're depriving me of a dashing rescue."

"Sorry," she replied, grinning up at him. "The only one who saves me is me."

He was trying to come up with a fitting remark while he sheathed his sword again. But she was faster, closing the space between them. Before he could register what she was about to do, her hand snaked around his neck and he was pulled down. Her lips pressed on his for a brief moment, the contact rocking through his whole body. Thankfully, he found his wits again before she could step back. Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her closer, taking her lips in a searing kiss that was reciprocated by her without hesitation.

"Swan?" he whispered with a shaky voice when they needed to come up for air, wondering if the kiss meant what he hoped it meant.

When she pushed him back softly he was prepared for the worst, expecting to see her walls go up again. He was definitely not prepared for seeing her soft smile as she cupped his cheek and brushed her thumb over his bottom lip.

"Later, Killian." The words slammed into his chest, the promise in these two words robbing him of breath. Again. He felt dizzy for a moment, trying to not lose sight of their mission. They didn't have the time to go down that road just now. Apparently, she knew that, too. Her fingers fell from his cheek a moment later, her voice hard with determination as she said, "We need to find Snow White first."

"Aye," he murmured, brushing a strand of her hair back behind her ear, letting his fingers linger on her cheek for a few precious seconds before letting her go. "Let's get to it then."

They'd been searching for a few minutes for any sign of Snow White when he came to a halt in front of a big window overlooking the court.

"What is it?" Emma's breathless voice came from behind. He wished he could spare her from seeing what was happening down there. But he couldn't. "Did you find her?"

"I'm afraid so," he told her as she came to a stop beside him, seeing her mother being bound to a stake.

"We have to get down there before it's too late."

"I don't think we can," David said and he felt Emma starting to shake beside him.

"No." The word was barely above a whisper, her body sagging against his as she watched her mother go up in flames. He could do nothing else than hug her to his side, knowing the pain that was ricocheting through her right in that moment. He knew how helpless you felt when a person you loved died right in front of you and you weren't able to stop it. He knew too damn well.

His heart broke for her as her fingers dug into his skin, as she held onto him with such a strength that his ribs shifted under the pressure. But he didn't move. He would gladly endure a few cracked ribs if it eased at least a small part of her sorrows.

There wasn't much he could do other than hold her.

* * *

 **Enchanted Forest - Day 31**

He was exhausted, ready to see the end of this adventure. He thought they'd screwed up the past indefinitely when he saw Snow White go up in flames. Fortunately, Emma's mother was very resourceful and used the fairy dust on herself to escape. But then they had to chase after her again to make sure that the story of how Emma's parents fell in love stayed on track. And it looked like fate wasn't being deterred by a little meddling from the future.

They were hidden in the trees, watching Emma's parents talk from far enough away to not be detected. When he risked a look at Emma by his side he saw tears trail down her cheeks. This time it were tears of joy, though. He could only imagine how moving it might be to watch your own parents fall in love.

"It's okay, Swan," he said softly, wanting to wrap his arm around her and pull her close. But he was still not sure if he was allowed to touch her so freely. He didn't know if they'd taken the next step in their relationship or not. So he contended himself with having her so close by his side. "Not everyone gets the chance to see their parents fall in love."

He was rewarded with a shaky smile, his heart skipping a beat as he let himself look at her for a little while longer. He was so in love with her that he didn't know how he could go on without her if she decided to leave the life of the savior behind once and for all and go back to New York. He didn't want to lose her, but if it was her wish he would let her go. Even when he thought that running away from her destiny was a mistake. But it was not his decision to make.

He forced himself to look back at her parents, his heart doing another skip in his chest when they parted ways. "They're heading away from each other."

"No, it's okay," Emma told him, her smile still shaky but her whole face was glowing, telling him that everything was all right. "That's how it happened the first time. It took my parents awhile to accept their feelings."

"Must run in the family," he replied without thought, cringing inwardly when he realized what he'd just said.

She would probably rip his head off, or erect her walls again and pushed him away. But she surprised him again. She didn't say anything in return, just stood up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips over his cheek, throwing him a mischievous grin before she reached for his satchel and pulled the storybook out. His heart was hammering like crazy in his chest and his cheek prickled where her lips had touched it only a moment ago. He was just watching her as she turned the pages, still reeling from the unexpected kiss. He wondered if there'd ever be a time when she stopped surprising him.

"Look," she said, showing him the storybook. The pictures reappeared on the pages right in front of his eyes. "We did it."

"Aye," he replied. "We did it."

-xxx-

"No." Her voice was full of anguish as she looked around, already searching for an exit out of the place the crocodile had sent them.

"At least he did us one favor." He looked at his reflection, hoping his remark would relieve some of the tension she must be feeling. "I'm devilishly handsome again."

"Wait!" she shouted as he took a vase out of a cupboard. "Don't touch anything. If Rumple is afraid of this stuff, there's gotta be a reason."

"I'm just trying to figure a way out," he told her, putting the vase back down.

"I don't think there is one," she said defeated. "And what's the point? You heard what he said."

"But you can." He stepped towards her, hoping his voice was carrying the faith he had in her. "All he said we need is magic." He'd never seen her fail yet. And he wouldn't let her fail now. "You're the savior, Swan. You can do it."

"Not anymore. I lost it."

"When Zelena died, all of her spells were undone," he tried to reassure her, knowing that it was her own doubts that were keeping her magic from coming to the surface. "Your powers should have been restored."

"Believe me, if I could make it work I would," she told him, her voice harsh with exasperation and anger. "You think I'm faking it?"

"I think not having magic makes it a lot easier for you to run back to New York and pretend to be somebody else." She needed to hear the hard truth. Because if they wanted to get out of here she needed to face the fact that being without magic was her choosing. "But listen to me, Swan. You're not. It's time to stop running."

"You think I don't know that?" she snapped, her eyes going glassy with unshed tears as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. "Yes, I run away. That's how I always survived." He balled his hand into a fist to keep himself from reaching for her. Pulling her into his arms now wouldn't help anyone. It hurt him to see her this distraught, but it would hurt her more if they were stuck here. If she wouldn't get back to her son. She needed to work through it for herself. It was the only way out. "But believe me, I want this to work. I wanna go back. I wanna stop running."

"What's changed your mind?" he asked, the flicker of hope he'd harbored deep inside of him bursting into a bright flame as he waited for her answer.

"Watching my mother die. Thinking she was dead. You saw what happened. I was so relieved when she was okay. And I hugged her. And you know what I saw in her eyes?" Her lips trembled, making it almost impossible for him to stand back and not haul her into his arms. "Nothing. She didn't know who I was. I had saved her and lost her, too. And that's what I've been doing to her since I met her. It's got to stop." He saw the fierce determination in her eyes, saw the woman he fell in love with. The woman who didn't shy away from a fight. The woman who was willing to fight for what she wanted. "When Henry brought me to Storybrooke he told me I was the savior. I didn't see what he was really doing. He was not bringing me back to break a curse. He was bringing me home." He was so proud of her. She finally stopped pushing everyone out, she let herself feel again. "Neal was right."

"About what?"

"You don't have a home until you just miss it. Being with my parents the last few days, but not really being with them ... I've never missed them more. Storybrooke. That's my home." He hoped that there was a place in her home for him, too. That she was ready to let him in. But first they needed to get back to that home. And it looked like they could now. He smiled as he saw the light crackle over the wand. She did it. She got her magic back.

"What?" she asked, probably wondering why he was smiling when it looked like they were stuck here.

"Look down," he said, grinning at her as he waved his hand toward the wand. "I'd say you've got your magic back. Now, shall we go?"

She smiled up at him, surprising him once again by grabbing him and pulling him down to give him a passionate kiss. He was breathing heavily when she released him, the mischievous grin on her face promising him there would be more of that passion when they were finally back in their time.

Closing her eyes, she lifted the wand and concentrated all her power on opening a portal. It took only a few seconds before the portal appeared in front of them. He took a last look at her before he stepped into the portal and let himself be pulled back into the future.

Into a future that held so much promises now.


	5. Storybrooke (Epilogue)

**Storybrooke** **– Day** **31**

It was good to be home again. The home she'd finally found. In Storybrooke. With her family.

But someone was missing.

She didn't know when he'd slipped out of the diner. But when she looked around she couldn't see him anywhere. There was so much she wanted to tell him. She just didn't know how to begin. The feelings she finally allowed herself having for him were still so new that she didn't know how to handle them. But she knew that she needed to see him right now. That she needed to know that he was okay. Slinking off like that wasn't normally his style. He should be here with her, celebrating the happy ending of their little adventure back in the Enchanted Forest.

She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Narrowing her eyes she looked out of the window, seeing him sitting at a table outside with his rum flask in hand. Excusing herself, she stood up and walked out of the diner. She was greeted with a soft smile, a smile that didn't reach his eyes though, and she wondered what was wrong. A hollow feeling settled in her stomach as she sat down beside him. Did he not wanted her to stay here after all? Or did she push him away too many times for him to want to stay at her side? Her heart fluttered in her chest as she looked at him. She didn't want him to leave. But of course she couldn't say that out loud. Because she was a coward when it came to voicing her own feelings. So instead she opted for just starting a conversation. As long as she was talking to him he couldn't leave after all.

"So, do you think Rumplestiltskin was right? I'm in the book now," she said, the weight on her heart easing a little when he gave her a genuine smile this time. "He said everything, besides our little adventure, would go back to normal. Do you think that it is?"

"He's right," he replied. "Otherwise I'd remember that damn bar wench I kissed."

"How would that prove anything?"

She remembered that kiss very vividly, though. Still felt guilty about actually enjoying it. But it had been the same man. She did kiss Hook. Even if it had been his past self. She couldn't change it anyway now. She just needed to make sure that from now on she would only kiss one man. The one sitting beside her right now.

"I know how you kiss." A shiver ran down her spine when she remembered all the kisses they'd shared so far. "I'd have gone after her. But I didn't. My life went on exactly the same as before."

"Yeah, must have been the rum."

"Everything's back to normal. You're a bloody hero, Swan."

"So are you," she told him. A shadow was still dulling the brightness of his eyes. She wanted it to be gone. It was time for her to take a leap of faith. "I wanted to thank you, Killian. For coming back for me in the first place. If you hadn't ..."

"It was the right thing to do," he interrupted her, shrugging one shoulder as if it wasn't a big deal.

"How did you do it?" she asked, suddenly realizing he'd never told her how he actually managed to come to New York. "How did you get to me?"

"When the curse was coming I ditched my crew and took the Jolly Roger as fast and as far as I possibly could to outrun it."

"You outran a curse?"

"I'm a hell of a captain," he said, his mouth tilting up into that lopsided smirk that always managed to make her body tingle in all the right places. "Once I was outside the curse's purview I knew that the walls were down. Transport between the worlds was possible again. All I needed was a magic bean."

"Those are not easy to come by."

"They are if you got something of value to trade."

"And what was that?" she asked, imagining him to charm some woman or throw some dice or play cards to win it. She definitely didn't expect to hear the words that came out of his mouth next.

"Why, the Jolly Roger, of course."

It was like a punch in the gut, leaving her breathless and reeling. The Jolly Roger? He gave up his ship for her? That was ... it couldn't ... how the hell was she supposed to react to that.

"You traded your ship for me?" she breathed, having a hard time to believe he'd left his ship behind to save her. No one had ever given up something of that magnitude for her. No one.

"Aye," he murmured, the look in his eyes taking her breath away.

She'd admitted to herself back at the ball in the Enchanted Forest that she had deeper feelings for the pirate. But right in that moment she fell hard, stepped up to the cliff and let herself fell head over heels in love with him.

Leaning forward she pressed her lips on his, finally letting the last remnants of the wall around her heart crumble when she felt his fingers slide through her hair.

She wanted this. She wanted him.

It was perfect. He was perfect.

The kiss could have lasted for hours. She couldn't say. She was pleasantly buzzed with lust coursing through her veins when she leaned back to look at him. His eyes were a brilliant blue, sparkling with need and an emotion she didn't want to give a name.

Without saying anything she stood up and pulled him up with her. He cocked an eyebrow at her when she didn't walk to the front entrance but led him to the back door. She needed him. And she wasn't up for all the questions that would come their way if they walked through the diner. Not to mention that she really wasn't in the mood to get hold up right now.

When they stepped over the threshold of his room she was assaulted by images of the last time she'd been in here with him.

"I need you," she whispered, pulling him towards the bed.

"I'm right here, love," he said, his fingers tightening around hers. "I'm not going anywhere."

And she knew he was telling the truth. He wouldn't leave her. He gave up his ship for her. The ship that was the last touchable reminder of his brother. She knew what the Jolly Roger meant to him, knew the immense sacrifice he'd made to come back and save her. And all without knowing if she would ever reciprocate his feelings. How could she not love him for that?

This time she didn't let herself fall into a frenzy when she started to disrobe him, though. This time she went slow, savoring every new inch of exposed skin, cataloguing all the scars covering his body, wondering about the stories behind them. Maybe she would ask him another time. But not today. Today was for cherishing what they had, for living in the moment. No looks into the past. No looks into the future. Just enjoying each other's bodies.

It was more an exploration this time, her fingers trailing all over his chest, outlining the ridges of his muscles. The fire was building up slowly deep in her stomach as his muscles quivered under her touch. She registered every shuddery breath out of his mouth, the hooded look in his eyes when she closed her fingers around his hard length and stroked him gently. His hand found its way between her thighs, his fingers brushing over her clit while her thumb swirled around the sensitive head of his cock. She bit her bottom lip when he slipped one finger inside of her, pumping it slowly in and out of her while his eyes were burning so bright that she had a hard time drawing air into her lungs.

It was insanely intense. So much emotions swirling around them that it should freak her out. But instead she felt safe. Safe being here with him.

Letting her hand drop from his shaft, she pulled him between her legs, feeling him nudge her entrance as he propped himself up on his elbows to look down at her. She waited for him to move, to push into her and make her whole. But he didn't.

His arm shifted and his hand cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing her skin, his voice a hoarse whisper, "Promise me something, love."

The word 'anything' almost spilled from her lips, but she managed to hold it back. That was just a too big leap for her right now. Instead she only asked, "What?"

Her heart started to gallop in her chest as he only looked at her with an intense gaze that made her toes curl. With every passing second she got more nervous, wondering what he wanted her to promise. Maybe it was something she wasn't able to give him. What would happen then? Would he leave? No, he wouldn't. She knew he wouldn't. But still ...

"This time you won't run from this. From us," he said, shifting atop of her so that the tip of his cock slid into her. "Can you promise me that?"

"I won't run," she replied. It was an easy promise to make. Way easier than she would have thought only a month ago. But she wanted this. Wanted to be with him. Without any doubt. "Not this time."

And then they stopped talking all together as he was taking her with deep and slow thrusts. Making love to her so thoroughly that when her climax hit her she never wanted it to end.

When she finally came down from her high, she was nestled into the crook of his arm, expecting the panic to set in again as he pulled her closer against his body. It had been over a decade ago that she let herself feel so deeply for a man, and it should scare the living crap out of her that he'd managed to break through all the walls she'd built to protect her heart. But the panic didn't come.

She might not be ready to say the words out loud. But she knew it to be true. She was in love with him. And hopefully she'd be courageous enough to tell him how she felt about him in the very near future.


End file.
